Dedicated to exposing the abuses of human rights, threats to the security of the free world, and attacks on general decency committed by Communist China, and to influencing policy in the free world to ensure these egregious acts do not go unopposed.

Monday, June 25, 2007

There's an urgent issue I've been following for some time, and since there is mainly silence on this problem, I've decided to take up the cause myself.

America may not have enough modern fighter planes to ensure its defense during the coming years unless smart people make their voices heard soon. The Air Force believes we need 381 F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to provide air dominance for defending America and enabling its military forces. So far, the Pentagon and Congress have only approved funding for 183 Raptors--less than half of the number requested.

If no additional acquisitions are approved before the F-22 assembly line shuts down, the U.S. will be gambling with its ability to control the skies, trading a more secure future for a big question mark. It's that simple. Meanwhile, China continues to make substantial gains in air and space capabilities, building up for a future showdown. Weakening the U.S. force makes that showdown all the more likely. USAF Chief of Staff Moseley characterizes China's growing air power as "very, very capable." China's new J-10 fighter is just one piece of the modern PLA air force.

I've started a blog and information site about saving the F-22. The action items include a petition for more Raptors as well as a contact form to request critical Air Force funding. I hope you'll join me in this endeavor and help keep the free world strong.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Insurgents fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan will be happy to know that more help is on the way--as part of its 'Cold War II' strategy against the U.S. and its allies, China's Communist government is apparently working with Iran to arm terrorists.

According to a June 15 report by Bill Gertz in the Washington Times, intelligence indicates that China is selling large quantities of small arms and weapons to Iran for use in the Iraq insurgency as well as for the Taliban in Afghanistan. Not only that, but China is even helping to deliver the weapons to ensure that they reach their destinations successfully.

Need a better gun? Parts for an IED? An anti-aircraft missile, perhaps? Not to worry, Uncle Hu's got it all covered. Best of all, that includes delivery.

The Gertz report mentioned small arms, ammunition, sniper rifles, RPGs, and components for roadside bombs, as well as previously-reported HN-5 missiles. Gertz also states that the U.S. administration has been trying to hush or downplay this intelligence to maintain the image of China's government as a partner.

Too bad America is listening to the engagement crowd. Communist China is 'engaging' U.S. forces right now through the insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it has plans to 'engage' the U.S. much more directly in future conflict, as we will continue to show at the China e-Lobby.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

China e-Lobby president D. J. McGuire talked about China developments on the Jeff Nyquist radio show earlier this month. Nyquist is a geopolitical columnist, author, and host who has raised awareness on post-Cold War threats to the free world, including strategic deception on the part of enemies of the West.

On the program, McGuire and Nyquist discussed the Communist China military threat, support for terrorists and anti-Western regimes and movements, religious persecution in China, the geopolitical significance of India, and more. This interview provides an excellent opportunity to learn about threats to freedom and hear two very knowledgeable commentators presenting their views. You can listen to a podcast of the show here.

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Well, I'm not sure what to call what happened to me today - breakdown, breakthrough, whatever. I've simply come to the conclusion that I need to completely transform my life. I need to "unplug."

As such, I am handing over the C e-L to Curry for the time being. For reasons I can't get explain in detail right now, I need to clear my head and start all over again.

I can't say how much I appreciate the kind words and comraderie I have experienced here in the blogosphere; I will always remember it, and it will be the inspiration for me to come back, if I can do what I need to do for myself and my family (BTW, no one is ill, it's not like that).

I love Japan. Each free nation in Asia is infinitely precious, and Japan is one of several beacons of light in that region of our world.

As my bookcase testifies, I'm a big fan of Doraemon. (As well as a fan of his favorite snack, Dorayaki, which at times I've often eaten almost as enthusiastically as the cat-shaped cartoon robot himself.) I like Japanese noodle soup, and yakisoba too. (In fact, I've eaten noodle soup in Narita airport, where Wei Jingsheng recently had a surprising experience.)

Japanese influence on worldwide art, entertainment, and technology has been stunning, and its culture is fascinating. From creating trends in cell phones and electronic devices, to changing the face of characters in our cartoons and games, to igniting global crazes for inexplicable but cute fashions like Hello Kitty, to providing many of the cars we drive, and even to fielding walking, talking robotic servants, Japan has made its mark during the decades of reinventing and rebuilding after the Second World War. Its traditional philosophy and martial arts have also provided interest and influence in the world. The Japanese seem to lend a unique style to everything they do. I once saw a documentary on business in Japan showing a fast-food franchise where a customer might receive one of dozens of different styles of greeting based on the perceived type of customer.

But freedom is by far the most important characteristic of modern Japan. That island nation is not only shining a light in Asia, it also is an important military and cultural ally of the free world.

That's why it was a bit depressing to receive alerts from the Wei Jingsheng Foundation about Wei's detention by the Japanese government, preventing him from attending a Tiananmen Square commemoration event in Tokyo, where he was scheduled to deliver a speech.

Wei Jingsheng finally was released, a few days later, and is now out of customs and in Japan. (Update: and he's now on the way back home, if all goes as expected.)

I'm not sure exactly what chain of decisions led to Wei's detention. We may hear more about that, or it may remain somewhat obscured. But since it was a problem for this man to step out of Narita airport before June 4th, but not a problem to step out into the streets of Japan after the event had safely passed, it's reasonable to assume that this was the issue.

Whether China asked Japan specifically to detain Wei, or whether Japanese officials imagined that it would be the polite and cautious thing to do, and whatever reasoning was invoked in the process, I think someone has been listening to the dangerous lies of the engagement/appeasement cult theology.

This is the idea that keeps popping up everywhere, that the enemies of freedom, human rights, and so on can be placated and turned into our bosom friends if we just dialogue, give a little, listen to their demands, and treat them like decent people. Even if they are ruthless dictators, mass murderers, or wild-eyed radicals looking to blow themselves up in your presence. So, if we detain Wei for just a few days, it won't hurt Wei much, and China's government may hate us a bit less, right?

I'd say wrong, on both counts. China's leaders will still despise Japan, and the latest word is that Wei's health hasn't been so good.

Engagement sounds nice, I know. We like a positive-sounding approach. It also reflects the attractive idea of high expectations leading to positive behavioral outcomes. But we need not only high expectations, but realistic expectations, which make sense based on what we know from previous observations. Expecting a hardened criminal to become your buddy and the pillar of your community if you pat him on the back and give him a little of what he demands is a flaky dream. We all know better. And while engagement may be positive-sounding in rhetoric, its results are negative in practice.

Engagement generally only changes the people who are trying to do the engaging. Like a cult, its ideas can appeal to good, well-meaning people. They dream of easy solutions and polite, politically-correct interactions to defuse problems. They start to blame themselves (and others) for aggressions on the other side--absent any real provocation, they imagine that not giving in to unreasonable expectations is itself provocation and aggression. It can all sound so persuasive at first. The next thing you know, you find yourself doing strange things. Like providing development aid to a neighbor who builds up a dangerously capable military force and keeps hyping up popular opinion campaigns against you. Or like detaining Wei Jingsheng for a few days when he comes to give a speech.

We shouldn't pick on Japan in particular, of course. Not by any means; this cult of engagement has been all around the political circles of the world. I'm sure these pernicious beliefs were at work (as well as the government-as-god tendency that develops as our nations become increasingly socialized) when Wang Wenyi was detained in the U.S. for interrupting an event to speak out against a terrible dictator. Which do we hold more sacred, the integrity of the rituals enacted at our political events, or the notions of liberty and justice upon which a nation was founded? U.S. policy is riddled with mistakes deriving from these cult-like beliefs, from the One China policy to the free trade fiasco. Many other countries have gotten taken in by the cult, too.

So, this is not about Japan-bashing. To the contrary, this is about telling our dear friends in Japan to keep shining a light in Asia, and that means not listening to the insidious teachings of the engagement/appeasement cult. It won't help you, and it's dangerous. It leads to policies that weaken and undermine free nations while empowering those who threaten them. And there's a pattern everyone should notice by now: placating the bullies never results in attaining their respect. It only places them in control and gives them, if possible, even more disdain for those they manipulate. When you're dealing with geopolitics, such ideas can have terrible consequences. Engagement is not only a strange belief system, it's potentially suicidal.

Chen Yonglin talks about Communist espionage and the Long Arm of Lawlessness in Canada: The former Communist consular official who defected to Australia in 2005 "brought with him a portfolio of Chinese documents" (TorontoStar, h/t Between Heaven and Earth) detailing Communist China's espionage network in Australia, and in particular its targeting of exiled dissidents and other anti-Communists (dubbed "The Long Arm of Lawlessness" by yours truly). Chen further " says that Canada likely has a comparable amount (of Communist spying) within its borders" (Globe and Mail, h/t BH&E).

Concerns about safety in Communist exports spread to toys, makeup, pottery, and ATVs: Numerous health officials are growing concerned about high levels of lead in "toys, makeup, glazed pottery and other products" (World Net Daily) exported from Communist China. In Iowa, lead poisoning is such a concern "that the Iowa Department of Public Health is working on writing a new law to require mandatory testing of those entering school for the first time." Meanwhile, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued several warnings against the KazumaMeerkat 50 Youth All-Terrain Vehicle, which "has no front brakes, no parking brake and is missing a neutral indicator" (Washington Times). The vehicle also "can be started in gear and the owner's manual does not contain complete information on its operation and maintenance." These are merely the latest concerns about harmfulexports from CommunistChina.New York City Comptroller proposes to get Yahoo! out of dictatorships: This Tuesday, William Thompson - whose job as NYC Comptroller includes running municipal pension funds - will offer to Yahoo! stockholders Proposal #6, "which directs the Internet search giant to stop its snitching and censorship practices demanded by 'authoritarian foreign governments' - Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam" (National Review Online - The Corner). The Yahoo! leadership is not happy with the idea. Thompson made a similar attempt to change Google policy last month (sadly, it failed).Taiwan loses Costa Rica: The Central American nation has long been a diplomatic ally of the island democracy - until yesterday (BBC). There is great worry that several other Latin American nations may follow suit after the Communists allegedly offered "an astronomical (financial) figure" to persuade Costa Rica.Lee Teng-hui visits his late brother's resting place: Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, but since Mr. Democracy's brother was conscripted into the Japanese Army during World War II (Taiwan was under Japanese occupation then), and since the resting place is Yasukuni, the Communists are trying to make political hay out of it (BBC).

Russia says the collapse of the Beijing surrender is our fault: Scroll down past to the "Some anju links" section to see One Free Korea's take on this continuing debacle.

More news from "another China province": Stalinist North Korea test-fires some more missiles (BBC, CNN, and One Free Korea). A mass anti-Stalinist march in Seoul draws the leading lights from the opposition Grand National Party (Daily NK); the GNP's policy on SNK is revealed, and except for the name, it's a mild improvement over the current dovish government (Daily NK). Speaking of the dovish South Korean government, One Free Korea notices its unwillingness to acknowledge the Stalinist North as a likely source of the methamphetamine wave hitting South Korea right now.Tiananmen reference gets a into Communist newspaper; censor didn't know what it was: Those who do not learn history are condemned to - accidentally reveal it to everyone else? That was the new lesson delivered by a twenty-something censor in Chengdu, who received this classified advertisement for her approval: "Paying tribute to the strong mothers of June 4 victims" (MSNBC). Being too young to know what "June 4" meant (and with the Communists never teaching her anything about the date), the censor believed it referred to a mining accident and allowed the ad to be printed in the Chengdu Evening News.

Human rights activist sentenced in Beijing; family and lawyer still know nothing about it: The cadres were so determined to send HuaHuiqi to jail that they refused to let his family or his attorney into the courtroom for the sentence (Epoch Times). Hua was arrested for "accompanying his mother who tried to hand-deliver materials of complaint letters to representatives of the 'two conferences (i.e. the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference).'" His mother is serving a two-year jail term.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

More Tiananmen remembrances: A former captain in the Communist military tells Australians what he saw the day after (Epoch Times).

Olympic blowback news: Nearly three thousand peasants in Fujin City, Heilongjiang, signed a petition "that demands their rights be placed before the Olympics" (Epoch Times); the cadres are expected to remove over a million people from their homes in preparation for the games (Boycott 2008). Meanwhile, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party considers recommending a boycott (Boycott 2008).

Communist Chinese repression of internet catching on with other regimes: Amnesty Int'l is sounding the alarm on internet censorship, noting it could "change beyond all recognition" (quoted by the BBC) the web as we know it. Communist China is leading the way on the crackdowns: "The Chinese model of an internet that allows economic growth but not free speech or privacy is growing in popularity, from a handful of countries five years ago to dozens of governments today who block sites and arrest bloggers."Bird flu kills Communist Chinese soldier: The Communists acknowledged the death through the World Health Organization (Mingpao via Epoch Times).

Global warming activists looking at Communist China in the hope that bringing the regime to heel on greenhouse gases will make it politically easier to do the same to the Bush Administration (Washington Post); the cadres, however, aren't playing ball (CNN).

Communist China issues new plan to tackle supposedly non-existentpoisoningissue: Just days after insisting there was nothing wrong with their administration of food and drug exports, the cadres "published a five-year plan late on Tuesday to increase inspections and tests on exported food" (BBC). Oops.

Communist China rips plans for Pacific missile defense: Communist mouthpiece Jiang Yu cited the regime's "grave concerns" (Washington Times) about Japan and America's plans to build a local missile defense, ominously noting the move "may also cause new proliferation problems." Given that the Communists have the largest military in the region, this is more a threat than a "concern."

President Bush meets Rebiya Kadeer in Prague: Bush and the Uighur exile met "at the sidelines of a conference in Prague attended by political dissidents from around the world" (Agence France Presse via Yahoo, h/t Uyghur American Association); he also blasted Communist China for jailing her sons still in occupied East Turkestan.

Communist China relents to Canadian pressure and allows Huseiyn Celil to see a lawyer: The Communist regime had allowed no one besides the lackey lawyer it appointed to see him. That changed last week. According to Mehmet Tohti, head of the Uyghur Canadian Association, the change was due in part to "the current government's tough stand on the issue" (Globe and Mail, h/t UAA).

Japan blocks Wei Jingsheng's entry: Some are speculating that the refusal to allow the exiled dissident to enter Japan was due to pressure from Beijing (Epoch Times).

Protesters in Australia call for an end to Communistorganharvesting: The demonstration was held outside the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's health ministers' meeting (Epoch Times).On the fate of Korean refugees caught by Communist China: One Free Korea references a Nicolas Kristof piece on the suffering of Korean refugees sent back to Stalinist North Korea by the colonial masters.

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

For years, the debate over the securing of America's southern border (i.e., the one with Mexico) has been about illegal aliens. Suddenly, Steve Janke has found a reason for us to be worried about something else - Communist Chinese poisoned toothpaste "Made in Mexico."

To recap, the Food and Drug Administration has already warned Americans not to use toothpaste sent from Communist China, due to the likelihood that any toothpaste from there has been poisoned. Colgate toothpaste, by contrast, is "Made in Mexico."

PAUL SOLMAN: We were here to interview one of China's current top leaders, Cheng Si-wei, an economist in the 2,000-year-old tradition of Confucianscholar politicians. The author of 28 books, Vice Chairman Cheng is also known as the godfather of venture capital in China.

CHENG SIWEI: Yes. Some people told me, you know, average Americans,you know, they use actually now in their daily life, they use many cheap Chinesegoods from morning to the evening; when they woke up, their blanket is made in China. When they wear shoes to go jogging, the shoes, Nike shoes, made in China.

PAUL SOLMAN: Nike.

CHENG SIWEI: Yes. And they use a toothbrush, it's made in China. The Colgate Toothpaste is made in China.

PAUL SOLMAN: Colgate Toothpaste is made in China?

CHENG SIWEI: Certainly. American people are really benefiting from cheaper Chinese goods.

That was in October 2005. Maybe that was once true, but is no longer true. Or maybe Siwei was lying, or just ignorant of where toothpaste used by Americans is made. Or maybe he's telling the truth -- that the toothpaste, or major components of the product, is manufactured in China and then repackaged or otherwise reworked in some way in Mexico as a final step, with Mexico therefore being identified as the country of manufacture.

Does Cheng Siwei know what he's talking about? He was Vice Minister of the Chemical Industry from 1994 through 1997, and is currently a vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the de facto legislative body of the People's Republic of China. He speaks with the authority of the Chinese government.

These are questions that need to be asked. In the meantime, keeping Communist-poisoned toothpaste out of the United States may also mean keeping a better eye on Colgate's "Mexican" toothpaste, too.

Taliban using Communist Chinese surface-to-air missiles: The Washington Timeswas shown "photographs . . . depicting Taliban insurgents showing off new supplies of Chinese-made HN-5 (sic, should read NH-5) shoulder-fired missiles." The Beijing-made weapons "are limited in range, speed and altitude, but effective against helicopters and low-flying airplanes," such as the ones used by American forces in Afghanistan. The Taliban is also getting weapons built by the Communist-backedmullahcracy of Iran.

U.S. may offer missile defense info to Communist China: Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is considering the idea " if the Chinese were to express an interest in it" (United Press Int'l via Washington Times). Communist China has always opposed American efforts at missile defense (Worldwide Standard), efforts designed to protect America from terrorist regimes the Communists themselves have armed for years.

More on Communist China and the United States: An American blogger tracking the poisoned pet food scandal is banned in Communist China (USA Today). Richard Halloran, formerly of the New York Times, comments on the increasing strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance in the Honolulu Advertiser.

Communist China's trade with Stalinist North Korea increases in 2007: Communist imports from their de facto Korean colony are particularly surging (Daily NK).

Hollywood producer looking to make movie ode to Mao: Clearly Steven North has not read Mao: The Unknown Story. Check out his quote: "This is a very positive portrayal of Mao, and we are hoping that once the script clears the approval process, China will come forward with services and support" (World Net Daily).

Do we have the name of one of the organharvesting doctors? A refugee from Communist China currently in South Korea named one of the doctors "Mr. Yu" (Epoch Times), which could very well be YuSanjiang, a doctor at Sujiatun (the first exposed site of organ harvesting) for five years.

Due to pollution, Wuxi has a water shortage: Cadres in the Jiangsu Province city are blaming an "algae overgrowth in the water source, Taihu Lake" (Voice of America via Epoch Times), but the real problem was "many companies who illegally discharged pollution into the lake." Environmental activist Wu Lihong was the whistleblower who revealed the pollution of Taihu Lake - and is now in jail for his efforts.

Monday, June 04, 2007

Tiananmen Square remembered: Tao Jun, one of the leaders of the Tiananmen spring, talks to the Epoch Times about the protests, the hopes, and the bloody massacre of eighteen years ago.

Former State aide throws around accusations at pro-Taiwan officials and gets his facts wrong: Lawrence Wilkerson, former aide to ex-Secretary of State Colin Powell and a leading "engagement" supporter, has claimed "administration neoconservatives" (Congressional Quarterly) "encouraged Taiwanese politicians to move toward a declaration of independence from mainland China." Said "neoconservatives" vehemently denied Wilkerson's charge, and Wilkerson managed to accidentally impugn himself with this spectacularly bad analysis of Taiwan's elected President "Chen Shui-bian, whose entire power in Taiwan rested on the independence movement." This will comes as quite a surprise to the Taiwanese people, who elected him twice based not on the independence issue but on the fact that he was the most anti-Communist candidate in 2000 and 2004. Then again, for "engagement" types like Wilkerson, anti-Communist and "pro-independence" are practically the same thing.

Democratic presidential candidates ponder Olympic boycott: While no one stepped up to openly support staying away from Beijing next year, Bill Richardson and John Edwards were willing to consider it due to the Communists' bankrolling of the brutal Sudanese regime (Santa Fe New Mexican). Meanwhile, the EpochTimes and Boycott 2008 examines several other reasons to consider staying home.

Communist China rise anything but "peaceful": ShenChieh (Taipei Times, h/t Boycott 2008) lists the victims of the Communists' "peaceful rise." William R. Hawkins of the U.S. Business and Industry Council sounds another badly needed warning on Communist China's geopolitical ambitions (Asia Times), while the Center for Hemispheric Policy focuses on the Communists' plans for Latin America (Latin Business Chronicle).

FDA says steer clear of Communist Chinese toothpaste as sewage-raised seafood exposed: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration "warned consumers to avoid using toothpaste made in China" (BBC) - or as Steve Janke put it, "'Product of China' means 'Throw in the garbage', at least when it comes to toothpaste." Meanwhile, World Net Daily reported this bombshell: "China, the leading exporter of seafood to the U.S., is raising most of its fish products in water contaminated with raw sewage and compensating by using dangerous drugs and chemicals."

More on Communist China and the United States: Chen-Yuan Tung, vice chairman of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (in other words, one of the people Lawrence Wilkerson would rather throw under the bus), has this to say about Communist China vis a vis America, "Beijing's criticism of the human rights situation in the United States only further highlights the guilty conscience and absurdity of the Chinese government in this regard" (Manchester Union Leader, h/t Boycott 2008); labor activists in Communist China take aim at Walmart for "abandoning American values in favor of its 'cozy business relationship with China'" (Cybercast News).

Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners warn Taiwan against "one country, two systems": Readers of this blog will know I refer to the situation in Hong Kong as one country, one-and-a-half systems; Falun Gong practitioners explain why to the Taiwanese people (Taipei Times, h/t Between Heaven and Earth), and everyone else (Epoch Times).

On the plight of Korean refugees in Communist China: Refugees tell their story to DailyNK; South Koreans march in support of refugees and against the Communists (Daily NK); and Japan shows that not all of Korea's neighbors are as cold and cruel as Communist China (Daily NK).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Refugees from Communist China living in PutinistRussia fear being sent back (Epoch Times). The Vancouver Sun has more on the British Columbia schools towing the party line in Communist China (h/t, BH&E). The cadres unveil their plan to "fight" global warming - namely to blame everyone else for it (BBC and Timesof London).

Investment climate in Communist China goes south: The imposition of a new stock tax (Epoch Times) has merely added to the usual burden of dealing with a Communist regime (Times of London).

Huang Ju is indeed dead: The Politburo Standing Committee member and high-ranking member of JiangZemin's "Shanghai clique" died over the weekend (BBC), at least according to the Communists - there was a report claiming that Huang had died early last month.

Friday, June 01, 2007

Early Monday morning Beijing time (Sunday afternoon EST), the eighteenth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre will begin. The Communists are once again arresting anyone who had ties to the brave protesters of that spring (Epoch Times),but the light of freedom and memory refuses to go out completely (Taiwan's Central News Agency via Epoch Times). We at the China e-Lobby mourn the victims, and will continue to honor their memories by advancing as best we can the cause for which they gave their lives.Canadian officials find another shipment of poisoned foodstuffs: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (Canada's equivalent of the FDA) "announced last Friday that it has intercepted a shipment of corn gluten from China contaminated with melamine and cyanuric acid" (Epoch Times). The news came as Communist mouthpiece Wei Chuanzhong publicly stood up for his regime's food safety system (USA Today), and actually had the audacity to blame Panama for the cough medicine fiasco (BBC).

Is Communist China persecuting HuseyinCelil to strengthen the long arm of lawlessness? Kevin Steel (Western Standard) talks Uighurs in Canada about the imprisoned Celili and hears this from MehmetTothi, president of the Uyghur Association of Canada: the "Chinese government is simply trying to send a message to all Uighurs outside of China: 'Just watch your step.'" This is exactly the message RebiyaKadeer has heard from the Communists, who have persecuted her family ever since she escaped occupied East Turkestan (Wall Street Journal via Uyghur American Association).

Canadian-run schools ordered to toe party line: Two schools "certified by the B.C. Education Ministry to teach the provincial curriculum and graduate students with a B.C. certificate" (Vancouver Sun, h/t Between Heaven and Earth) in Communist China were told by the regime to follow the party line on human rights, Taiwan, occupied Tibet and East Turkestan, and other topics deemed "sensitivities."

More on Communist China from Canada: John Robson (Ottawa Citizen) laments those who put trade above human rights regarding Communist China - or as he puts it: those who "say it doesn't matter if money is soaked in blood provided there's a big enough pile of it" (h/t BH&E). The editors of the Toronto Starrip the Communists for their coziness with the murderous regime in Sudan. Both made reference to the 2008 Games.

Ignorant Comment of the Day: John Tamny (National Review Online) is at it again, discussing economic policy vis a vis Communist China with absolutely no mention on geopolitics or national security.

Communist China seizes more Korean refugees: The regime has prevented 34 Koreans from escaping the Stalinist North in favor of the democratic South (Washington Times). One Free Korea gives the horrific account of what likely awaits them.

More news from "another China province": The United Nations is calling for closer ties with Stalinist North Korea (Newsmax); South Korea tries (BBC), but Freedom House is more worried about the fate of northern Koreans (OFK). Meanwhile, South Korea's Ambassador to the United States is thanking Korean War veterans for their efforts in saving South Korea from the Stalinists (Washington Times).More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Communist China is moving more deeply into the technological age with its military (International Herald Tribune and Tech News World). The cadres resort to an old standby to defuse anger at themselves - they allow and anti-Japanese protests (BBC).

New magazine regulations announced: What may seem an innocent attempt to better classify periodicals is largely seen by authors as "an attempt to further control publication content" (Radio Free Asia via Epoch Times).

More on matters inside Communist China: Roughly 2,000 citizens protest corruption in Yantai City (Epoch Times); economist-turned-dissident He Qinglian (Epoch Times) examines the corrupt state of the regime nationwide. A late 19th-century home falls victim to another land seizure (BBC). Communist China remains tight-lipped about the fate of a soldier suffering from bird flu (Epoch Times).